Typeface Design

For a typography class, I was assigned to create ten letters in an original typeface that could be used by a company or organization of my choice. This was to be rendered in ink on cardstock. I chose to create my typeface for a laid-back boutique in Nelson, BC, Love of Shiva. I did an analysis of the organization in order to identify some constraints and inspiration for my typeface. Through an iterative process, I manifested a typeface which I named Virabhadrasana, meaning warrior pose in Sanskrit. I landed on this based on the Indian and other eastern spiritual influences present in the shop’s identity and products. The typeface was inspired by Indian culture and spiritual symbols, including henna, a form of body art. The designs created with henna usually include a lot of small dotwork, which inspired me to include some dotwork in my typeface. My “o” was inspired by the moon and is intended to subtly mimic the shape of two crescent moons. I wanted to keep the typeface fluid and natural feeling to reflect the relaxed atmosphere of the boutique.